It was one the bleakest days in the history of the Fullerton Police Department: Kelly Thomas, a mentally ill, homeless man, suffered fatal injuries during a violent confrontation with Fullerton police in a downtown parking lot.

Orange County prosecutors contend he was beaten with malice aforethought; defense attorneys say that officers were just doing their jobs and that Thomas was belligerent and uncooperative.

The 30-minute encounter was captured by a surveillance camera. Justifiable or not, the images were disturbing. The video was broadcast by dozens of media outlets and viewed around the country.

It was the worst kind of bad publicity.

In the two years, four months since then, a lot has happened in Fullerton, Orange County's seventh- largest city by population.

Three officers were charged with crimes, including one – Manuel Ramos, 39, who was accused of second- degree murder, the first uniformed police officer in Orange County history to be charged with murder for an on-duty incident. Cpl. Jay Cicinelli, 42, was charged with involuntary manslaughter and excessive force. Opening statements in Ramos/Cicinelli trial are expected Dec. 2.

A third officer, Joseph Wolfe, 39, was indicted separately by the Orange County grand jury in September 2012 on involuntary manslaughter and excessive force charges. In addition:

• Those three officers were terminated from the force. Three other police officer were placed on administrative leave pending investigation and eventually reinstated.

• Michael Sellers, the Fullerton police chief at the time of the fatal confrontation, abruptly took a medical leave and then an early medical retirement.

• Thomas' death fueled the successful recall of three council members.

And in January 2013, career Fullerton police Officer Dan Hughes, a Fullerton native who joined the department as a cadet in 1983 and advanced through the ranks, was named the city's chief after 16 months as interim chief.

Hughes reorganized the command staff, adopted new hiring policies, demanded higher accountability from officers, championed for transparency and engaged the community. Dozens of everyday citizens have his cellphone number.

“I do think that since Dan has taken over as chief, he has shown a real willingness to lead by example,” said City Council member Jennifer Fitzgerald.

The Register sat down with Hughes on the eve of the Ramos-Cicinelli murder trial, and asked him – among other things – about the bad reputation Fullerton police have endured, what he's done to repair that reputation and what the future portends. He defended the decision to reinstate the three officers who were placed on paid leave and he acknowledged that he knew – after viewing the surveillance video – that there needed to be an outside investigation.

Hughes, 49, could not comment about personnel issues or evidence related to the upcoming trial, but he did discuss department communications problems and the future of the department.

“Obviously, the events that took place that day (had) an impact not only on our police department, (but on) our community, our city government,” Hughes said.

Here is what he had to say on the issues.

Q. Did the community lose trust in the Fullerton Police Department that day?

Fullerton Police Chief Dan Hughes has taken leadership and overseen change in the aftermath of the death of Kelly Thomas. BRUCE CHAMBERS, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Earlier this year,Fullerton police officer J.D. DeCaprio spoke with Tyson O'Donnell, a homeless individual from Fullerton who has interacted with officer DeCaprio since meeting with him at a D.A.R.E. program. Officer DeCaprio, who acts as city's patrol for homeless, knows many of the homeless around town by name as has gained their respect after offering help and making sure they are doing okay on a regular basis. KEVIN LARA, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Angry Fullerton residents shout at City Council members in this 2011 file photo after council members started walking out of the meeting before order was quickly restored. ROSE PALMISANO, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Kelly Thomas, a mentally ill, homeless man, suffered fatal injuries during a violent confrontation with Fullerton police in a downtown parking lot. COURTESY OF RON THOMAS
Bill Shumard, President/CEO of Special Olympics Southern California, greets Special Olympics athlete Rachel Oesterbach and Fullerton Police Chief Dan Hughes at the 11th Annual Special Olympics on Parade gala at the Anaheim Hilton in April. CHRISTINE COTTER, FOR THE REGISTER
Acting Fullerton Police Chief Cpt. Dan Hughes and the father of Kelly Thomas. Ron Thomas, discuss the department's handling of the Kelly Thomas incident with media at the Fullerton Transportation Center in this 2012 file photo JEBB HARRIS, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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